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August 1, 2010

I'm Sorry, Prem Chand

By
Hamza Malik

Prem Chand.
(Source: Pakistaniat.com)

I have no doubt that this post will invite even more weirdos to comment and say idiotic stuff, and call me a minority loving fool; so be it. I simply cannot stand by and let my conscience prick me forever by not talking about this injustice, this inhumane treatment that has been meted out to Prem Chand, even in death. Wasn't it enough that he was dead? And let's not forget he was the member of the Pakistan Youth Parliament. Not "Hindu", or "Kaafir", but Pakistan Youth Parliament. So what am I rambling on about? The fact that Prem Chand, who died as a Pakistani in the Airblue plane crash had his coffin marked with the word "Kaafir".

It appears that we have lost all our shame, literally. Or more aptly, in the words of some wise person, we all died morally and ethically in some crash a long time ago. Prem Chand was the son of this soil, Pakistan's soil. So what if he wasn't a Muslim? He was a social worker. He was the person working for a change despite the limitations that he had to face distinctly because he was not a Muslim in this country professing to be the citadel of Islam. Whatever you might say, the word Kaafir has become a slur with its ample usage being found coming from the mouths of Sunnis labeling the Shiites as Kaafirs, and vice versa. I would love to write "Munafiq" on the coffin of the person who wrote Kaafir on the coffin of Prem Chand.

But I guess that is what the official identity of Prem Chand was in this country. He was born a Kaafir, and not a Pakistani. And so he died a Kaafir, and not a Pakistani. Imagine if in any country a Muslim coffin had been marked with a derogatory term, we would've been up in arms.

Is this what Islam teaches us? We, you and me, have turned Islam into a tool. It is no longer a theology; it isn't even an ideology. It is just a tool to be used to generate greedy benefits for ourselves. Imagine the hurt that Prem Chand's family must have felt. Imagine what agony they must have had to go through, knowing that they lost a son, but more importantly, they lost a "Kaafir". Is this what we want to show to the world? We have perfected the art of having double standards. While we want the world to be good to us, we want them to accept the fact that they are lowly, third class misguided fools, who have chosen the path of hell to tread on. We continue to live in a fantasy, and there are many Prem Chands who are suffering because we refuse to acknowledge their plight. This has to end, it must end.

Let us not forget that except for 3 people, all others aboard the ill fated Airblue flight were Pakistanis. And the 6 youth Parliamentarians were some of the most brightest young Pakistanis. Prem Chand was one of them. It is a shame on our nation to treat our shining stars in such a way. We are afraid of the visceral enigma that has gotten hold of us. We need to stand up and face it; or be lost in this brewing storm forever.